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Sunday, June 8, 2014

Sunday – arrival and check-in

I made it. I wanted to take a picture of the Welcome to Alabama sign but as I was screaming by it at 70 mph I decided that it wasn’t such a good idea. A funny thing happened at the Georgia-Alabama line. Right before I came in to Alabama all the cars with Alabama tags started slowing way down while the ones with Georgia tags hit the line at full throttle. What the Alabama folks knew that we Georgia folks didn’t was that the speed limit drops from 70 to 55 and there were Alabama State Troopers waiting on the other side. All you could see were brake lights from the Georgia cars and the drivers of the Alabama cars had big smiles on their faces.

I went through the check-in and registration process and I am settled into my dorm room. My roommate is from Florida and the two girls next door are from Texas and Salt Lake City. Three of us are newbies to IGHR so we have the deer-in-the-headlights look. We are pretty happy that one us has been here before and can make sure the rest of us get to the right places at the right time.

Tonight we had a buffet of “heavy hors d'oeuvres” at a dinner reception and short orientation. After the orientation there was a ProGen get together. Angela Packer McGhie is here (the head of ProGen) and it was very nice meet her in person. Representatives from ProGen 1 all the way through the newest class, ProGen 23 were there. I am in ProGen 18 and we are finishing our program on July 1st. There are a lot of genealogy heavy hitters here and there are a couple I plan to corner just so I can introduce myself.

One special person I got to meet today was Clarise Fleck Soper, CG. I have “known” Clarise for about 15 years but this is the first time I had met her in person. She is from Mississippi and we both do Mississippi research. She used to be the editor of Southern Footprints and I wrote a couple of articles they published. We were both members of the Southern Mississippi Genealogical Society though I was a long distance member. We are in different classes this week but we will still have time to get together again and I am looking forward to it.

We were given our class notebooks and my roommate and I are sitting here reading through it. Wow. There is A LOT of material in here. My brain is already starting to hurt.

Certified Genealogist is a registered trademark and the designation CG is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, used under license by Board certificants who meet competency standards.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:10-17)